There was a time when Delhi Police had to depend on landline phones, wireless and fax machines. After that, mobile phones helped in the speedy work of the police.
Now, since September, Delhi Police is equipped with technology like Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) by which security of even the Prime Minister's Office can be monitored from the CCTNS control room in the police headquarters.
The technology has linked the Delhi Police Commissioner directly to a constable. With this technology, an officer can, any time and from anywhere, find out about calls received from the public.
The officers can find out what action has been taken on a call received on phone numbers 112 or 100. Whatever has been entered in a police diary kilometres away, can be accessed through the CCTNS system, which is being handled by the Crime Branch.
However, one may wonder why, despite this modern technology available with the Delhi Police, snatchers are having a field day in the national capital. The answer is that Delhi Police has failed to make effective use of this technology.
Speaking to on this, DCP Crime Branch Joy Tirkey said: "It is correct that these days increasing incidents of snatching have been witnessed at certain places. Several gangs have been nabbed. Delhi Police's Dossier Cell and CCTVs on the roads played the biggest role in ensuring their arrest."
He said the snatchers were not only from Delhi but adjoining places too.
"Our team has nabbed several snatchers and looters who had come from Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) to commit the crime and flee back the same day," he said.
Asked whether it was not a failure of Delhi Police that criminals easily leave the national capital after committing crimes, Tirkey said: "Delhi Police works dedicatedly day and night but yes, wherever we become a little lax, the snatchers take advantage."
When queried why the snatchers resorted to killings, the DCP said: "In such cases, it has been mostly seen that easy access to weapons is the main reason."
He said the Crime Branch recently arrested a gun runner named Irshad Khan of Ghaziabad. It was found that he would buy deadly weapons like 7.65 bore pistol for just Rs 20,000 each in Madhya Pradesh and sell those in Delhi for Rs 40,000.
The officer added: "We are working to eliminate these crimes happening on the roads from its roots. We recovered 40 pistols from Irshad. Imagine if all these pistols had reached the criminals, how dangerous it would have been."
( With inputs from IANS )